Office of the President
Blessed to Be a Blessing
“ Every good and perfect gift is from above ,” we are taught in the book of James , “ coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights …” ( James 1:17 ).
Two points jump out from this verse . First , since all the good things we have are perfect gifts from our Father in heaven , we should hold them with gratitude and hold on to them loosely . As God is the source , we cannot take any gift for granted . Each one is precious and to be used rightly . Abraham was instructed in this . As God was sending him out from his home country , He told Abraham He would bless him . Indeed , Abraham was blessed , and his descendants were blessed in even greater abundance physically , materially and spiritually . But God ’ s words to Abraham emphasize that he was blessed for a purpose , that he might in turn be a blessing to others ( Genesis 12:2 ). Thus , we ultimately regard the resources of OMS as gifts from God , which we are to steward wisely and use to be a blessing to others .
The second point that comes from this verse is the reminder that every good and perfect gift is from God . Not just some but every one ! When resources come into OMS , we have to look beyond the human source , whether it is a monetary gift or the gift of one ’ s talents and abilities in missionary service , and remember that it is a gift from God . Looking beyond the gift to its source in God allows us to rest in the assurance that the One who provides knows our needs and lacks nothing in the ability to provide for these needs .
In this issue of OMS Outreach , we share with you the principles of stewardship to which we are committed , principles that ultimately flow from the understanding that we are accountable to God for the use of His good and perfect gifts . May we learn to rest even more deeply in Jehovah Jireh , the God who provides .
President , One Mission Society
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